Oral massaging device



Oct. 8, 1940. v| FULLER 2,217,439

ORAL MASSAGING DEVICE Filed March 17, 1938 Patented Oct.' 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 17,

s claims'.

This invention relates to massaging appliances and more particularly to gum massage brushes, tooth brushes and combination gum and tooth brushes.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an appliance of this character wherein the massaging contact surface is composed in whole or in part of a'soft, flexible, cellular mass of material such as sponge rubber, and having a reinforcing core or cores of a denser but flexible material such as vellum rubber enclosed in whole or in part within the soft, flexible, cellular mass of material. Such an appliance provides a means of gum massage and tooth brushing that is neither harsh, irritating or injurious to the most tender, inamed or congested tissue; it will not cause injury, damage to or recession of tl're gum tissue. but because of its soft and flexible nature it will furnish a means of beneficial massage.

Another object of the invention relates to the cellular mass serving as a means of applying medicaments as its spongy structure provides a superior vehicle for carrying medicaments by the absorption thereof and to thus allow the massaging of the same into the gum tissue; that in the form of a tooth brush it provides a superior vehicle for carrying and applying dentriilces and that teeth and gums may be brushed with it without irritating and injurious effect often caused by brushing with an appliance the contact surface of which is of a hard and sharp nature.

These, and other objects will become more apparent from the specification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation one form of brush or gum massaging appliance.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken on line 2 2, Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 4 shows in side elevation a modified form of brush or gum massaging appliance.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 6 is a front elevational end view of the same. 4

Referring in detail to the drawing, l@ denotes generally the massaging unit or appliance mounted on one end of a manipulating handle Il, the device as a whole resembling a conventional form of tooth brush as well known. The massaging appliance I0 comprises a base and core portion l5 and I6 preferably formed of an integral rnass of a exible substantially hard material such as what is commonly known as vellum rubber and a massaging portion I7 formed of a 1938, Serial No. 196,442

(Cl. S15-188) soft, flexible, cellular material, preferably sponge rubber.

'I'he base and core portion I 6 and i6 is firmly attached to the handle i I and the massaging portion i7 is firmly attached to thecore IB. The whole thus forming an integral unit handled structure.

The oblong core i6 is preferably shaped on its upper surface to provide a plurality of separated portions l6a, ltb, itc, and ld of a truncated pyramid shape.

superimposed upon and over the core i6 is a mass of soft flexible cellular material il preferably sponge rubber. 'I'he sponge rubber mass i1 is formed to provide a plurality of separated portions l'la, l'lb, Wc and Hd complementary to the respective core portions ita, isb, itc and I 6d to provide the contacting massaging portion of the appliance. Each such contacting massaging portion l la, i'lb, i'lcand l'ld is provided with a, central depression or recess it for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The sponge rubber mass il' preferably has its side and end Walls i3 and it sealed l 2, but the cellular structure of the sponge rubber contacting massaging surface and the pee5 ripheries of the walls oi each portion lla, Hb, llc and lld is exposed for a purpose hereinafter described.

Thesponge rubber massaging portion il is vulcanized to or secured by cementation to the basecore portion l5 and i6 and the whole massaging appliance i is secured in any desired manner to the manipulating handle l i. This may be accomplished either by mechanical means such for example as set forth in my co-pending U. S. application Serial No. 184,383, filed January 11, 1938, on invention for "Appliance for dental massage and medicinal applicator, or by vulcanizetion or cementation thereto. In any event it is intended that the massaging appliance it be rigidly secured to said handle ii so as to form therewith a unit handled structure.

In use the contacting massaging portions lla, ilb, llc, lld constituted by the sponge rubber act on the gums or teeth or both. inasmuch as the sponge rubber has absorbing properties, in the manner of a sponge, medicaments applied to the cellular contact surfaces are held within the cellular pockets and in the recesses I8 the same exuding therefrom only by the flexing action of the appliance in (massaging. Thus the medicament may be supplied to the gums and massaged therein by the use of the appliance. In a like manner a dentrifice may be carried by the sponge rubber both by the recesses I8 and the cellular pockets in the exposed Contact massaging portions. The sealed walls I2 will act to retain either medicaments or dentifrice within the sponge rubber mass the same exuding therefrom only through the exposed contact massaging portions by the flexing action ofthe appliance in massaging or brushing.

It is to be understood that the appliance I as above described and shown illustrates only a preferred form and that the same may be of any suitable form, shape or design and that the contact massaging portionof the sponge rubber may also be of'any suitable form, shape, design or thickness.

In Figures 4, and 6 there is shown a massaging appliance I9 intended for use as a combined gum massage and tooth brush. Integrally formed on a base element 20 is a row of tapered vertical flexible members 2| arranged parallel to each other, said base element 20 and flexible members 2| being formed of a flexible substantially hard rubber such as vellum rubber. Disposed between the flexible members 2|, up to the tips thereof are masses of sponge rubber 22 which are rigidly secured to said members by vulcanization or cementation to form a unitary structure.

Each mass of sponge rubber 22 is partially severed in a transverse plan`e medially between opposed members 2| as at 23, and the entire appliance is partially severed as at 24, 25 in a plurality of longitudinal planes, parallel to each other and normal to the base 20. This partial severing of the flexible members 2| and sponge rubber masses 22 provides a greater flexibility of the appliance as a whole, simulating a tooth brush, and will permit abrushing action by the tips of the flexible members 2| and a massaging action by the sponge rubber masses 22. As

described above with reference to the massaging appliance shown in Figure 4, the sponge rubber masses 22 may carryeither a medicament or dentifrice, the appliance being used in exactly the same manner as a conventional tooth brush. The massaging unit or appliance I9 is rigidly secured in any desired manner' to a manipulating handle 26.

Again it is to be understood that the appliance I9 as above described and shown illustrates only a preferred embodiment thereof and that the same may be of any suitable form, shape, or design. And it is to be further understood that the flexible members 2| may be entirely enclosedin sponge rubber except where the said members 2| are united t'o the base 20.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An oral massaging device comprising a manipulating handle, an elastic core body having at least one upstanding core secured to an end portion of said handle and a soft cellular elastic body superimposed upon said core body and completely surrounding said core with the major portion of its mass above said core to define the massaging surfaces of said device, said handle, core body and cellular elastic body being integrally united, said body by virtue of its cellular nature serving as a medicament carrying medium, and an elastic sheath surrounding said cellular elastic body and of such a height as to leave exposed an upper portion of said cellular elastic body whereby to retain the medicament carried thereby.

2. An oral massaging device comprising an elongated body of cellular elastic material transversely separated at its upper portion to deilne a plurality of spaced massaging pads, a reinforcing elastic core projecting upwardly within each of said pads and completely enclosed thereby, and a flexible walled sheath surrounding said.cellu lar body and leaving exposed only a small upper portion of each pad thereof to 'constitute the massaging surface portion of said device, said sheath, core and cellular body being integrally united to provide a. unit element for attachment to a manipulating handle.

3. The massaging device as set forth in claim 2, said sheath serving as a pocket to retain a medicament to be absorbed and contained by said cellular body.

4. An oral massaging and medicament carrying appliance comprising a plurality of flexible substantially stiff rubber members attached at their lower ends to a base element, a mass of sponge-like material adapted to absorb and retain a medicament disposed between said flexible members and united with the same and said base element to form a unitary structure, said flexible members functioning to reinforce and confine said sponge-like mass.

5. The appliance as set forth in claim 4, wherein said sponge-like mass is formed of sponge rubber, the upper ends of said flexible members and the upper surface portion of said mass providing a massaging surface of irregular contour,

and a manipulating handle for said appliance to which the base element thereof is rigidly flxed.

6. An oral massaging and medicament carrying appliance comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel members of tapering thickness, formed of flexible and substantially hard rubber and joined together at their bases to a common base element, a mass of sponge rubber adapted to absorb and retain a medicament filling the spaces between said flexible members and bonded thereto, the tips of said flexible members and the upper surface portion of said sponge rubber masses providing a massaging surface of irregular contour and a manipulating handle for said appliance to which the base element thereof is rigidly secured.

7. In the appliance asset forth in kclaim 6,

wherein each sponge rubber mass between a pair of flexible members is severed along a transverse plane parallel to and midway of said members, and said flexible members and sponge rubber masses being severed in a plurality of parallel longitudinal planes normal to the plane of said base element whereby to increase the flexibility of the appliance.

8. A gum massaging and medicament carrying appliance comprising a flexible walled rubber casing including a base, a body of sponge rubber Within said casing and projecting above the flexible walls thereof, a plurality of stiff rubber supporting cores united to said base and projecting upwardly into said body of sponge rubber and Wholly embedded therein, said casing, sponge rubber body and cores being integrally united and said casing acting to retain a medicament to be absorbed by said sponge-rubber body, the ex- LESLIE L. FULLER. 

